Riohacha climate
Riohacha (Colombia) has a tropical savanna (dry winter) climate (Köppen Aw). The average temperature over the year is 28 °C82 °F, and about 931 mm37 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Riohacha climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2984 | 2475 | 2680 | 40.2 |
| Feb | 2985 | 2475 | 2780 | 40.2 |
| Mar | 3086 | 2476 | 2781 | 130.5 |
| Apr | 3087 | 2577 | 2882 | 341.3 |
| May | 3187 | 2679 | 2883 | 1265.0 |
| Jun | 3188 | 2679 | 2983 | 893.5 |
| Jul | 3188 | 2679 | 2983 | 562.2 |
| Aug | 3188 | 2679 | 2984 | 873.4 |
| Sep | 3187 | 2780 | 2984 | 1405.5 |
| Oct | 3086 | 2680 | 2883 | 2138.4 |
| Nov | 3085 | 2679 | 2882 | 1244.9 |
| Dec | 2985 | 2577 | 2781 | 421.6 |
| Year | 3188 | 2475 | 2882 | 93137 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 78% | 31% | 5.3 | 11:31 |
| Feb | 75% | 33% | 5.8 | 11:45 |
| Mar | 75% | 49% | 5.8 | 12:02 |
| Apr | 76% | 67% | 5.6 | 12:22 |
| May | 79% | 73% | 5.4 | 12:39 |
| Jun | 78% | 62% | 5.8 | 12:48 |
| Jul | 77% | 57% | 6.1 | 12:44 |
| Aug | 79% | 60% | 6.0 | 12:30 |
| Sep | 81% | 68% | 5.6 | 12:10 |
| Oct | 83% | 73% | 5.1 | 11:51 |
| Nov | 83% | 63% | 4.7 | 11:35 |
| Dec | 80% | 42% | 4.9 | 11:27 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Riohacha is like
The warmest month is August, with an average high of 31 °C88 °F and a low of 26 °C79 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 29 °C84 °F and lows 24 °C75 °F. Temperatures barely change through the year: the warmest and the coolest month differ by only 2.3 °C4.2 °F.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 931 mm37 in. The wettest three-month stretch is September–November, which brings 51% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: January–March. The wettest month is October (213 mm8.4 in), the driest is February (4 mm0.2 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 75% in March to 83% in October. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 31%) are typical of January. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 12 km/h (7 mph) in October to 16 km/h (10 mph) in February. Daylight lasts from about 11.5 hours in December to 12.8 hours in June.
Best time to visit Riohacha
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are December–March: average highs of 29 °C84 °F to 30 °C86 °F with 4 mm0.2 in to 42 mm1.6 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is October, which is very wet (213 mm8.4 in) and humid (83% relative humidity).
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Riohacha
- Wetter months (May and June, August–November) — highs 3085 to 31 °C88 °F, lows 2679 to 27 °C80 °F, about 130 mm5.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Drier months (December–April, July) — highs 2984 to 31 °C88 °F, lows 2475 to 26 °C79 °F, about 25 mm1.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses.
How Riohacha compares
Compared with Valledupar, about 126 km to the south, Riohacha is on average 0.7 °C1.2 °F cooler and receives 30% more precipitation (931 mm37 in vs 718 mm28 in). The difference is largest in March (1.6 °C2.9 °F cooler).
Of the 48 places in Colombia covered by World Climates, Riohacha is the 12th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 44th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Colombia climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Maracaibo (Venezuela, BSh), Zanzibar (Tanzania, Aw) and Puerto Cabello (Venezuela, BSh).
Nearby places
- Maicao 75 km · 28 °C83 °F · 675 mm27 in
- Valledupar 126 km · 28 °C83 °F · 718 mm28 in
- Santa Marta 144 km · 29 °C84 °F · 847 mm33 in
- Machiques 169 km · 29 °C84 °F · 781 mm31 in
- Maracaibo 173 km · 29 °C84 °F · 678 mm27 in
- Cabimas 204 km · 30 °C86 °F · 704 mm28 in
- Barranquilla 214 km · 28 °C82 °F · 1,126 mm44 in
- Ciudad Ojeda 229 km · 29 °C85 °F · 876 mm34 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Riohacha?
August is the warmest month in Riohacha, with an average high of 31 °C (88 °F) and an average low of 26 °C (79 °F).
What is the coldest month in Riohacha?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 29 °C (84 °F) and an average low of 24 °C (75 °F).
When does it rain the most in Riohacha?
October is the wettest month with about 213 mm (8.4 in) of precipitation; February is the driest with about 4 mm (0.2 in).
What is the best time to visit Riohacha?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are December–March.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 76 m, while Riohacha lies at about 7 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +0.4 °C0.8 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.